Method for protecting beverage can from insects

ABSTRACT

The method is for preventing insects from entering an opening of a beverage can. The method provides for a beverage can that has a lever member with a handle member and an engaging member attached to a top surface of the beverage can. A cover member is placed on top of the top surface so that a protection area is placed above a weakened segment of the top surface and an inner opening segment is placed below the engaging member. The protection area has a plurality of elongate apertures defined therein. With the protecting area and the apertures placed on top of the weakened segment, the handle member is lifted to move the engaging member through the inner opening segment to push a portion of the weakened segment into the beverage can and creating an opening disposed below the protection area and the elongate apertures.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Beverage cans are often commonly used today both for storing beveragesand for drinking the beverage directly from the cans. Because mostbeverages contain sweeteners and other substances that are attractive toinsects, insects are drawn to the opening of the beverage cans. Aparticular problem is that insects may fall into the beverage canwithout the user knowing about it. It is often very difficult todetermine if an insect has fallen into the beverage can because it isdifficult to see into the beverage can through the can opening. There isa need for a device and method of preventing insects from enteringbeverage cans without requiring the user to perform extra tasks toprotect the beverage and to preclude insects from falling into thebeverage cans.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The method and device of the present invention provides a solution tothe above-outlined problems. More particularly, the method is forpreventing insects from entering an opening of a beverage can. Themethod provides for a beverage can that has a lever member with a handlemember and an engaging member attached to a top surface of the beveragecan. A cover member is placed on top of the top surface so that aprotection area is placed above a weakened segment of the top surfaceand an inner opening segment is placed below the engaging member. Theprotection area has a plurality of elongate apertures defined therein.With the protecting area and the apertures placed on top of the weakenedsegment, the handle member is lifted to move the engaging member throughthe inner opening segment to push a portion of the weakened segment intothe beverage can and creating an opening disposed below the protectionarea and the elongate apertures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cover member attached to thebeverage can;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cover member attached to thebeverage can when the can is opened;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover member attached to the openedbeverage can with the leverage push back;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the cover member attached to the beverage can;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective top view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective side view of the alternative embodiment shown inFIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-5, a circular cover member 10 of the presentinvention may be placed on a top surface 12 and within a projectingflange 14 of a beverage can 16 to prevent and preclude insects and otherundesirable objects from entering into the beverage can 16.

The cover member 10 is preferably very thin and has an outsideperipheral segment 18 that is dimensioned to fit inside the projectingflange 14. The cover member 10 may either be mounted on the can 16 afterthe can has been manufactured or preferably, to the top surface 12 ofthe lid before the lid is attached to the can 16.

The cover member 10 has an opening 20 defined therein. The cover member10 may also be provided without the opening 20. The opening 20 may bedivided into an outer opening segment 22 and an inner opening segment 24where the segment 22 may be wider than the segment 24. Of course, thesegment 22 may be the same or narrower than the segment 24 also.Preferably, the opening segment 24 extends over a central point 26 ofthe circular cover member 10. The cover member 10 has a protection area27 that has a plurality of elongated apertures that are pre-cut alongstrips 31 so that elongate openings 28 (as best shown in FIGS. 2/3) arecreated when the the inner portions 35 follows the weakened section 36of the can opener 30 that is pushed into the can 16, as described below.The apertures 28 or segments 35 may extend from a peripheral segment 18towards the central point 26 and the opening segment 24. The apertures28 may be substantially parallel and are sufficiently narrow to preventmost insects from passing through the apertures 28.

The beverage can 16 may have a lever member 30 including a handleportion 32 and an engaging portion 34. When the handle portion 32 israised away from the top surface 12, as best shown in FIG. 2, theengaging portion 34 is turned downwardly and pushes the weakened section36 of the top surface 12 into the beverage can 16 to create an opening38 through the surface 12. Through the opening 38, the user may drinkthe beverage contained in the beverage can 16.

Prior to opening the beverage can 16, the cover member 10 may bepositioned or adhered to the top surface 12. The protective area 27 isplaced over the weakened section 36 of the top surface 12 that definesthe opening 38 when the can is opened. The wider opening segment 22 isplaced below the handle portion 32 and the opening segment 24 is placedbelow the engaging portion 34.

An important feature of the present invention is that the beverage can16 can be opened without damaging or moving the cover member 10. It istherefore important that the opening 20 is sufficiently large to permitthe engaging portion 34 to engage the weakened section 36 withoutdamaging the protection area 27 of the cover member 10. The openingsegment 24 should therefore be sufficiently large to cover the entireengaging portion 34. When the engaging portion 34 engages the weakenedsegment 36 no part of the cover member 10 is affected although theprotecting area 27 extends over the segment 36. The protecting area 27has an inner edge 29 that defines a portion of the opening segment 24.Preferably, the inner edge 29 should be aligned with an outer end 31 ofthe engaging portion 34 so that when the engaging portion 34 engages theweakened segment 36, the outer end 31 and the inner edge 29 define anarrow gap 33. The outer end 31 may almost touch the inner edge 29 ofthe cover 10 because the gap 33 should be sufficiently narrow to preventinsects from falling into the can 16. In this way, the user may open thebeverage can 16 with the lever member 30 the same way as if the covermember 10 was not adhered to the top surface 12.

If the protecting area 27 is glued to the weakened segment 36 that ispushed into the can 16, it is important that the adhesive is not toostrong and the material of the cover member 10 is sufficiently sturdy.It is also important that the glue that holds the inside of the cut-outsegments 35 is stronger than the glue of the separation portions 37 ofthe protecting area 27 so that the cut-outs follow the weakened section36 of the top surface 12 into the can 16 when the can is opened. In thisway, the cover member 10 is released from the weakened segment 36 andthe cut-out segments 35 follow the segment 36 when the segment 36 ispushed into the can 16 to form the opening 38 of the surface 12 that iscovered by the protecting area 27 with the segments 35 removed therefromto form the apertures 28. Preferably the protecting area 27 is glued tothe weakened segment 36 also to prevent dirt from gathering under thecover member 10.

It is also possible to produce the cover 10 without the opening 20 sothat the cover 10 is mounted on the top surface 12 before the levermember 30 is mounted on the top surface 12.

With reference to FIGS. 6-7, the cover 10 may include a spring biasedprotecting area 27′ that opens only when the user pours the drink andthen return to a closed position when the pouring stops or the can 16 isreturned to the upright position. In this way, insect cannot get intothe can 16 through the opening when the can is in the upright position.

While the present invention has been described in accordance withpreferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood thatcertain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

1. A method for preventing insects from entering an opening of abeverage can, comprising: providing a beverage can (16) having a levermember (30) with a handle member (32) and an engaging member (34)attached to a top surface (12) of the beverage can (16), a cover member(10) placed on top of top surface (12) so that a protection area (27) isplaced above a weakened segment (36) of the top surface (12) and aninner opening segment (24) is placed below the engaging member (34), theprotection area (27) having a plurality of elongate apertures (28)defined therein; with the protecting area (27) and the apertures (28)placed on top of the weakened segment (36), lifting the handle member(32) to move the engaging member (34) through the inner opening segment(24) to engage the weakened segment (36); and pushing a portion of theweakened segment (36) into the beverage can (16) and creating an opening(38) disposed below the protection area (27) and the elongate apertures(28).
 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method furthercomprises adhering the cover member (10) to the top surface (12).
 3. Themethod according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprisesproviding the cover member 10 with outer ends (19, 21).
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing thecover member (10) with an opening (20) that has a shape that is similarto a shape of the lever member (30).
 5. The method according to claim 1wherein the method further comprises moving an outer end (31)immediately adjacent to an inner edge (29) of the cover member (10). 6.The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprisesseparating the protecting area (27) from the weakened segment (36) whenthe weakened segment (36) is pushed into the can by the engaging portion(34).